Barcelona reportedly turned down a €45m offer from an unnamed club for Francisco Trincao, just days after they announced his scheduled arrival this summer.
As per the club’s official site on January 31, they announced that they had signed the 20-year-old in a deal worth €31m, and that he would join them on July 1.
The youngster has impressed for Braga this season, scoring seven goals and providing nine assists in 30 appearances, while he has been capped from U17 to U21 level for Portugal to suggest that he has a bright future ahead of him for club and country.
However, it seems as though Barcelona’s resolve was tested almost immediately, as Mundo Deportivo report that they received a €45m offer for their new signing via agent Jorge Mendes just days after making his move official, but club president Josep Maria Bartomeu dismissed the idea of selling him before he’s even had a chance to make an appearance for the Catalan giants as they have big hopes for him.
It’s added that Trincao himself also made it clear that he wanted to prove his worth at Barcelona, and so it appears as though he will join up with his new club as planned for preseason this summer and despite a hefty €45m offer being on the table, the reigning La Liga champions evidently believe in his talent and potential.
Particularly when considering ESPN recently reported that Barcelona are under pressure to raise funds to balance the books through player sales, offloading Trincao and making a quick profit on him could have been smart financial decision.
However, it appears as though they’ve prioritised the success of the club on the pitch on this occasion, and the Portuguese starlet will seemingly get his chance to shine at the Camp Nou.